Posts from September 2012

In Acts 20:29-31, Paul gave the following warning to the Ephesian elders, “For I know this, that after my departing shall grievous wolves enter in among you, not sparing the flock. Also of your own selves shall men arise, speaking perverse things, to draw away disciples after them.” One of the primary functions of a shepherd is to protect the flock from…

A topic of great discussion in the United States is that of health care. Much of the discussion concerns Health Maintenance Organizations, or HMO’s, and Preferred Provider Organizations, or PPO’s. If I understand correctly, (and this may be a gross over-simplification), an HMO exercises…

Imagine several groups of sheep gathered around their shepherd, pulling at him from all directions. “This way is best!” cries one group, while another group, pulling in the opposite direction, insistently cries out, “No, this way is better!” Or picture this–a group of shepherds pulling, pushing, pleading, and/or dragging a flock of…

The epistle of First John is written to Christians as a message of encouragement and reassurance. A group known as the gnostics (“the knowers”) was troubling the Christians of that day. These “knowers” claimed to have special knowledge that the ordinary Christian could not possess unless they imparted it to them. This was a source of great concern…

The Bible teaches that each congregation of the Lord’s church is autonomous and is to be overseen by elders (Titus 1:5; Acts 14:23; Phil 1:1), men who meet the qualifications of 1 Timothy 3 and Titus 1. The elders are elsewhere called “overseers” (Acts 20:28), “bishops” (1 Timothy 3:1-2), “pastors” (Eph 4:11). The word…

An article in the August, 29, 1999, edition of Nashville’s Tennessean newspaper told of David Lipscomb University’s dismissal one of its Bible professors because the congregation where the professor served as a minister had begun to use instrumental music in its worship services. Doug Varnado, professor of Bible for 17 years and director of a campus missions…

(Editor’s Note: The following was written by Steve Waller, a missionary whom we help to support in Indonesia. Steve has been a trusted friend for nearly 10 years. Please consider the following and examine your attitude toward promoting undenominational Christianity. JTC) While reading the…

Horrible injustices thrived in Jeroboam’s northern kingdom. God would wink no more. Judgment was coming: “Thus He showed me: Behold, the Lord stood on a wall made with a plumb line, with a plumb line in His hand. And the Lord said to me, ‘Amos, what do you see?’ And I said, ‘A plumb line.’ Then the Lord said: ‘Behold, I am setting…

Many religious discussions concerning the oneness of the church or the necessity of baptism have ended with, “Well, that’s your opinion.” Many sermons on divorce and remarriage, social drinking, immodest dress, or the necessity of attended each service, have been dismissed with a careless (or couldn’t care less- JTC), “Well, that’s just…

With the year 2000 just around the corner, speculation regarding the Bible and the onset of the new millennium is well underway. This speculative teaching is based upon various interpretations of the books of Revelation, Daniel, and Ezekiel. Do these books, or any others in the Bible, make…